Windhelm
by TheNewIdea
Summary: Scouts-Many-Marshes had every reason to believe that today was going to be exactly like yesterday. That all changes with a single act of kindness from an unlikely source. Meanwhile, within the city walls, a little girl's world gets turned upside down just as the sparks of a revolution begin in the Grey Quarter. Set after Dragonborn and the Main Quest in an AU Civil War.
1. Chapter 1

Windhelm

Scouts-Many-Marshes walked out onto the docks that morning not expecting the day to be any different than the days before. In fact, he had every reason to expect that today was going to be exactly like yesterday, full of backbreaking labor and discrimination from the locals. Nothing new. As Scouts stretched and rolled his neck he heard the sound of Gjalund Salt-Sage's bell, the signal that told Scouts that Gjalund was approaching the docks. Making his way towards the _Northern Maiden_, Scouts breathed in the salty sea air that the ship brought with it and smiled, for he wished often for a sailor's life, but then again Scouts wished for many things that he did not have.

"How's Solstheim been lately?" Scouts asked warmly as he made his way to the starboard side.

Gjalund shrugged as he sat down a piece of ship rope he was holding lazily on the deck. Gjalund's hair, both on his head and what he maintained on his face, was beginning to grey, the years having been kind to him in terms of appearances.

"As good as they can be Scouts" Gjalund said as he stepped onto the dock, extending a hearty handshake, "With Miraak and Hermaeus gone things are finally looking up over there. I'm not sure how long it will last though."

Scouts raised his eyebrows curiously, "What do you mean?" he continued, "Is something wrong?"

Gjalund shook his head pitifully at the notion, for something was always wrong on Solstheim, even in times of peace.

"Just the same old thing that's been going on for years" Gjalund answered, "The Dark Elves in Raven Rock are expanded ever northward, the Skaal are getting anxious, I've even heard that they're preparing for war."

Scouts sighed deeply, the very mentioning of war bringing back memories of the Battle of Windhelm five years before, a Stormcloak victory that was enough of a firebrand to rekindle the flame of the civil war. The Stormcloaks had pushed the Empire out of Windhelm within the first week, out of Winterhold soon after, at present Ulfric was currently putting pressure on Riften. Scouts however, cared little about Ulfric Stormcloak and his military pursuits or his desire for High King. The only thing Scouts cared about was peace, which was slowly dwindling in supply.

"I don't think I can remember a time when there wasn't a war" Scouts declared, "Even in youth it seemed there were always battles to be won."

Gjalund nodded in painful understanding, "That's just the way things are my friend. War is an inevitability, especially in Skyrim."

Scouts huffed, "Then maybe we should leave. Form our own country, make our own rules."

"You're talking out of your ass Scouts" Gjalund said a hint of warning in his voice, "Besides it's not there's real estate anywhere. Where would you go to start this country of yours?"

Scouts laughed at this, amused that Gjalund took his statement literally when in truth it was entirely figurative. Scouts was in almost every sense of the word, a realist, save for one. Scouts was a firm believer in legends and fairy tales, it was almost a requirement, especially given his standard of living that he believe at least a little bit of the impossible. When dragons and vampires crossed his ears, Scouts became giddy, almost hopeful, that something miraculous would happen that would lead to Windhelm's destruction and consequently his freedom. But for the time being, Scouts worked on the docks and simply dreamed of life somewhere else.

It wasn't long before Shahvee, Neertrenaza and Stands-in-Shallows appeared from the Assemblage. Shahvee gently brushed her hair back as she prepared to tan leather, Neertrenaza grumbled to himself as he thought about how many swords he had to sharpen and how many nails needed bending. Stands-in-Shallows said and did nothing, having lost the ability to care what happened to him, simply deciding to passively wait for death.

Scouts slowly made his way over to Shahvee and Neertrenaza, Shahvee smiling as he approached, Neertrenaza being almost as indifferent as Stands was.

"Let's make the best of today shall we?" Shahvee said encouragingly

"That is if the Nords don't beat us down again" Neertrenaza pointed out, "Hard to be happy when you've got a boot kicking your face in."

Shahvee rolled her eyes, "Why do you always have to be so negative Neertrenaza? Look at the bright side."

Neertrenaza laughed sarcastically and shook his head pitifully.

"Bright side!" he exclaimed, "What bright side? We're living outside the city walls. Even the Dark Elves have it better than we do and they're _loathed_ in this city!"

Scouts smiled, for his day never seemed to be complete without Neertrenaza's opinion being known. Surprisingly, it made life a little easier, it reminded Scouts of two things- that the world still turned and that things never really changed. It was sad, but it was the truth and it was something that he was slowly learning to live with.

"We'll make do" Scouts replied, "We've always made do and we will continue to make do. We're survivors Neertrenaza."

Neertrenaza scoffed and only made his way towards his workbench. Scouts meanwhile, walked with Shahvee towards her tanning rack.

"He has a point Scouts" Shahvee said as she pulled out her knife and casually cleaned it, "This isn't life."

Scouts, at risk of repeating himself, said nothing and casually stopped Shahvee in her tracks by placing his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around.

"We have to think about what's best for us now" Scouts began, his voice carrying endearment and all the sentiment he could muster at the moment.

Shahvee looked down, obviously uncomfortable in the situation.

"I'm sorry" Shahvee replied, her voice cracking a little bit, "But I can't. I can't think about-"

Scouts shook his head softly, refusing to allow her the satisfaction of crying.

"That's enough of that don't you think?" Scouts said warmly, "It's time for you to be happy. Truly happy. With me. What do you say about starting our lives together?"

Shahvee slowly looked up, her eyes, which were wet with tears at this point, met his. Scouts laughed playfully as soon as he saw them, for they only seemed to shine more than usual when wet. Shahvee in response, wiped her eyes with her sleeve out of embarrassment and reverted her gaze downwards. She was immediately denied this by Scouts, who softly touched her chin and redirected it back towards his face.

"Never look down again" Scouts pleaded, "Always, no matter what, hold your head up high. You see the world better that way."

At this Shahvee allowed herself a subtle smile, before anything else could be said or done a guard walked over, his mace drawn, to break them apart. Shahvee immediately turned towards the tanning rack, having no interest in a confrontation.

"Alright, alright" Scouts said as he walked away, not even bothering to give the guard the satisfaction, "A guy can't even properly propose anymore."

The guard slowly relaxed, "I'm sorry, did I ruin something?" he asked admitting that he did not understand the situation and at the same giving a partial apology.

"Yeah" Scouts answered simply "But what does it matter now? I can't afford a ring, and even if I could it wouldn't be good enough."

Scouts walked towards the Assemblage, the guard, for one reason or another, followed him, having taken an interest in the dock worker.

"Do you love her?" the guard asked, mostly for the sake of himself, despite the fact that he witnessed the scene moments before.

Scouts laughed as if the question was the stupidest thing he had heard all day.

"More than life itself" Scouts replied, "I only wish that I could take her away from all this. Take us all away."

The guard sighed guiltily, "I don't make the rules sir. I just enforce them. Jarl says you stay outside, you stay outside."

Scouts said nothing as he opened the door to the Assemblage, before he could go inside, the guard stopped him, his mace blocking the door.

"My name's Odin" the guard replied, "What's yours?"

Scouts shook his pitifully, his saw little reason to give his name when it was likely that Odin wouldn't remember him come tomorrow, still for the sake of first meetings Scouts did the polite thing.

"Scouts-Many-Marshes" Scouts exclaimed, "Why do you ask?"

Odin shrugged and casually pulled out a coin purse and handed it to Scouts as if he were settling a lost bet.

"Meet me by the gate tomorrow at noon" Odin continued, "I'll escort you through the city so you can buy a ring."

Scouts, although moved by the gesture, declined it.

"Thank you for the offer but I'll have to decline" Scouts declared, "Besides, I don't think it's best, me walking around the city with a bunch of Nords that would rather have me dead."

Odin nodded in understanding and sheathed his mace once again.

"If you change your mind" Odin said as he walked away, "The offer still stands."

Odin was just about to walk away and return to his post when Scouts stopped him, causing Odin to turn around.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Scouts asked curiously

Odin shrugged and let out a casual laugh, "I took a chance" he answered honestly, "Looks like I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Scouts pressed.

He didn't get an answer.


	2. Chapter 2

The Grey Quarter was one of those places where everyone was and no one wanted to be. Calling it a slum would be an insult to slums. The stench of the streets alone was enough to give the Ratway a run for its money in terms of the dirtiest place in all of Skyrim.

Outside the New Gnisis Cornerclub sat Sofie, who was humming to herself as she stroked the hair of a wooden doll. Beside her was a flower basket full of flowers and a sign that read Flowers for Sale, Two Septims Each. Standing at the door silently watching her was Ambarys Rendar, the owner and bartender.

"What's a little girl doing in the Grey Quarter?" Ambarys said, hoping to catch Sofie's attention, "Shouldn't you be a home with your mother?"

Sofie, who heard Ambarys turned around casually and smiled, "Hi mister" she replied warmly, "Would you like to buy a flower? It only costs two septims."

Ambarys folded his arms dismissively, "You didn't answer my question girl" he continued, his voice a little colder than usual, "What you are doing here? It's not safe for a little girl to roaming the Quarter during the day without supervision."

Sofie huffed, "I can take care of myself" she defended, "Besides I've got protection."

Sofie gestured towards a guard, who was silently keeping vigil. The guard, a woman, was leaning against a building across the way, in her hands was a tankard of mead.

"Drinking on the job" Ambarys said scolding, "Typical Nords. Don't even know how to watch children properly."

Sofie shrugged and stood up, brushing herself off and she extended her hand for a handshake which Ambarys did not move for, keeping his arms crossed and maintaining his closed off attitude.

"What's your deal anyway?" Sofie asked curiously, "You got a problem with Nords?"

Ambarys huffed, clearly insulted by the remark, "It's the Nords who have a problem with me" he answered, "Now do me a favor and get out of here before you get hurt."

Sofie nodded and did as she was told, gathering up her flowers and her sign and moving back to the barrels where she spent most of the day attempting to earn her keep. The guard, watched Sofie move back to the door that led to the docks and when she was sure the girl was safe, shrugged it off and continued on her way deciding to do her job and make rounds of the Grey Quarter. Ambarys, who also watching Sofie move to her barrels, shook his head annoyingly and spat, not out of disgust or to be rude, but as a reflex before he turned around to continue his duties inside.

The Gnisis Cornerclub remained relatively unchanged. Malthyr Elenil, Ambarys' assistant, was busy sweeping the floor. The room at the moment was empty, for most of Ambarys' costumers didn't start arriving until later in the day. As Ambarys made his way behind the counter to prepare the drinks, Malthyr raised his head and slowed his sweeping as if he were about to say something but never did, wither it was out of fear or simply choosing his moment Ambarys couldn't really say.

"Something on your mind Malthyr?" Ambarys asked, "Come on then speak up, speak up!"

Malthyr rolled his eyes and sat down his broom, pulling out a note from his pocket.

"It's time Ambarys" Malthyr began, hushing his voice, "We're ready when you are. Just say the word and we'll strike them down!"

Ambarys shook his head, "I told you that I would have no part in it Malthyr" he exclaimed firmly, "I hate the Nords as much as anyone and I'm always the first one to talk about our conditions but that doesn't give us the right to start killing people."

Malthyr huffed pitifully, "Brunwulf has our support. So does Lonely-Gale. They're respected members of the community, no one is going to get hurt who doesn't deserve it, they'll see to that. All we need is to pick our moment."

Ambarys held his ground, he would not be so easily swayed, no matter how tempting the thought of revolution sounded for Ambarys would rather have a clean moral conscious than freedom through bloodshed.

"Nothing you can say or do will make me raise a sword against them" Ambarys declared, "They may be Nords, but some of them believe it or not are good people. Ulfric and his court are the concern, not the citizens."

Malthyr growled, for Ambarys failed to see what Ulfric had instilled in the people by enforcing the laws of Jarl Merkiller.

"You are blind then if you think that they do not deserve this!" Malthyr continued, "Every single one of them must pay. The guards, the court and Ulfric must see justice for what they've done to us. The people as well…but we shall not kill them, no, for them we have a much more poetic end in mind."

Ambarys raised his hand peacefully, he would not allow more of this talk to be said in his inn. It was bad enough to think that it had come to such violence when so much had already been had in the war. In Ambarys' mind, Malthyr was a radical with intent to do bodily harm and that was something that he could not accept.

"There will be no more of this" Ambarys warned, "Not if you wish to remain employed here. Do you understand me Malthyr? The only way that we can make better lives for ourselves is through hard work and determination. You'll see, they'll come around soon enough."

Malthyr huffed in dismay and went back to sweeping.

Sofie meanwhile, made her way down to the docks. She hadn't been done there lately and thought that today, which was relatively sunny, would be a good opportunity to sell some flowers and talk with the workers. The first person she approached was Stands-in-Shallows. Saying nothing, Sofie only smiled, gave a little curtesy and pulled out a yellow flower from her basket, handing it to the Argonian. Stands-in-Shallows in response, nodded and placed the weed, for it was little more than that, in the neckline of his tattered tunic, he appeared grateful. Sofie laughed and extended her hand which Stands took, gladly returning the handshake, before disappearing into the warehouse to resume his work.

Neertrenaza, who was next on Sofie's route around the dock, was busy hammering away as hard as he could at a nail. Sofie, quietly and carefully, came up behind him and casually tapped his shoulder, causing Neertrenaza turn around hammer raised as if he were about to attack, obviously scared half to death. Sofie, in turn, moved back several feet in an effort to get as far away from danger as possible.

"Don't do that!" Neertrenaza yelled once he composed himself slightly, "You scared me out of my wits you stupid girl! What are you doing here anyway? The docks are no place for children."

Sofie brushed her hair back and held her head up as high as she could.

"I'm making friends" Sofie answered confidently, "Would you like a flower mister? The first one's free."

Neertrenaza groaned, he had no interest in flowers or meeting new people, he barely an interest in work, unfortunately he didn't exactly have a choice in that matter.

"Will your flowers end the bigotry?" Neertrenaza asked as he kneeled down, "I think not. Your kind don't care for us, they never have and they never will. So why should I accept your offer of friendship when you'll just as quickly forget about it come tomorrow?"

Sofie sighed a bit, for Neertrenaza's words were a little too based in reality for her liking. She, like most children her age, was optimistic in terms of how she viewed the world. Everything she looked at she seemed find some degree of goodness in, Neertrenaza was no exception.

"I don't know about any of that" Sofie said, "But I do know that flowers make a lot of people smile and eventually if you fake it enough, you'll actually be happy. So here-"

Sofie handed Neertrenaza a blue mountain flower and a dragon's tongue.

"These are for you."

Neertrenaza took the flowers and stared at them as if he had never seen a flower before. Sofie laughed and patted Neertrenaza's head as if he were a dog, this brought the Argonian out of his trance like state, causing him to blink.

"It's going to be okay" Sofie exclaimed, "You'll see."

Neertrenaza could do nothing else but stand and nod as Sofie walked away, completely in shock. Neertrenaza slowly turned around, picked up his hammer and continued working out the nails, each hit a little less forceful than the last. He said nothing, too lost in himself to even complain. The flowers were clenched in his fist, as the hammering of the nails grew softer and softer, the flowers' pedals were crushed to the point of falling off until they were nothing more than green stems.

Sofie continued down the docks to Scouts, who was outside at this point and had been for several minutes, and Shahvee, who was tanning leather. Before she could even get to them however, Odin, her father, got in the way.

"Hey Daddy" Sofie said welcomingly, "Would you like a flower?"

"Not right now Sofie" Odin replied as ushered her away, "Now please, be a good girl and go back to your barrels, leave the workers alone."

Sofie nodded and pulled out two flowers, one red and one blue.

"Can you give these to them?" Sofie asked as politely as she could, "The red goes to the lady. The blue one goes to the mister."

Odin smiled and gave a soft nod, touched by Sofie's good-naturedness, for she was always seeking to help others even if it was at a cost to herself. It was a quality that he wished he had but did not.

"Of course" Odin answered, "Now run along and be careful!"

Sofie smiled and did exactly as she was told, running down the docks.

"Thanks Daddy" she exclaimed as she ran, "I love you, see you at home!"

Odin looked after her carefully just as she was about to run into Stands, who stopped her before she could hit him.

"There's no need to run" Stands said, chastising but in his usual nice-guy demeanor, "The world isn't going anywhere any time soon."

"Hi" Sofie said in greeting, "I'm Sofie, what's your name?"

Stands laughed warmly and gently patted Sofie's head as he led her up the stairs towards the door into the city.

"Stands-in-Shallows my good lady" Stands replied, putting on some degree of charm causing Sofie to laugh in response and give another curtsey.

"Pleased to meet you" Sofie continued, "Do you like the flower?"

Stands nodded, "It's the best gift I've received in a long time" he answered honestly, "In fact-"

Stands pulled out a meager looking coin purse and presented Sofie with two septims.

"For brightening my day a bit" Stands said with a smile, "You need anything, a friend, money, anything, you come to me."

Sofie gently embraced Stands at this, reaching up, she kissed his cheek and then ran up the stairs. Stands laughing to himself as he remembered what he had forgotten.

"So that's what that looks like" Stands said to no one in particular

"What are you talking about?" Scouts asked as he walked over, Odin following behind.

"Just life" Stands answered.

Odin nodded in agreement, for he knew that Sofie had that effect on people, just another reason he was grateful for everything that he had.

"If anyone was put here for a reason it's Sofie" Odin declared, "She's really something else that one. Makes me proud to be her father."

Stands immediately extended his hand towards Odin, who took it without question, all doubt, if any existed at all, left Stands' mind the second he heard that Odin was Sofie's father. Stands shook Odin's hand as firmly as anyone ever could, the ultimate sign of respect as far as he was concerned. Scouts, who had no idea what going on, only nodded, feigning understanding, and turned around to continue his work as best he could.


End file.
